History to Go program lets kids take museum to school

LAND O'LAKES — Nine-year-old Jennifer Klosicki took deep breaths, trying hard to calm herself as she watched the long line of fourth-graders stream into the media center at Oakstead Elementary School.

In just a few minutes it would be time to take on the role of a museum docent and give a talk about a few pieces of traditional Spanish clothing.

Jennifer had come prepared, memorizing her presentation so she could answer questions and tell fellow students about the pink and black lace fan and the tall orange hair comb that could be worn under the mantilla — a rather fancy black and red silk scarf or shawl traditionally worn for festivals and weddings.

Even so, she had a good case of the jitters.

"I've got butterflies in my stomach," Jennifer said. "I've danced in front of 100 people before but talking in front of 80 kids — that just makes me nervous."

No doubt that was the case for most of the students of Heather Byrd and Tanya Getty, who with a little help from the Tampa Bay History Center produced a museum of sorts right in their school library.

The teachers took advantage of History to Go, the center's program that allows educators to bring kits to their school for three weeks at no charge.

The kits include artifact reproductions and classroom activities concerning Tampa Bay area history such as the Rough Riders — the first American volunteer cavalry that camped in Tampa before heading to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. There are reproductions of some handmade tools of the first Florida natives and the Seminole Indians. The immigrant experience is highlighted, featuring such notables as Don Vicente Martinez Ybor, the Cuban exile who brought his cigar manufacturing business to Tampa in the late 1800s.

"We don't have a lot of time to cover Florida history and we wanted to do something really meaningful because it just goes so fast," said Getty. "This, we felt, would be meaningful and we thought the kids would always remember it."

No doubt that will be the case for kids like Dallas Kirby, Henry Oliva and Jesse Hoffman, who spent their time as museum "experts" overseeing the Rough Riders display, that came complete with uniform and picture of probably the most famous Rough Rider, Teddy Roosevelt.

"It's fun telling people what happened a long time ago like in the Spanish-American War and stuff like that," Dallas said.

"I think it's a good experience," Jesse said. "And a cool experience, being a teacher."